That year José Quintero, stage director and a founder of the Circle in the Square Theatre in New York, directed a play at the University.
Quintero then hired him to be stage manager of his Circle in the Square production of Eugene O'Neil's The Iceman Cometh, which opened on May 8, 1956.
During that time, members of the company and other actors who appeared at the Charles include Al Pacino, Jill Clayburgh, Jane Alexander, Ned Beatty, Christina Pickles, Swoosie Kurtz, and Mitch Ryan.
[9] He described the humble beginnings of the movement's leaders and their theatres: "Zelda Fichandler (Arena Stage, Washington, DC) in a beer factory, Michael Murray (Charles Playhouse, Boston) above a fish market, or Jules Irving and Herbert Blau (the Actor's Workshop, San Francisco) behind a judo academy.
Today, the Charles Playhouse no longer operates as a regional theatre, but continues as a venue for theatrical productions.